This Is An Insane World
by MaxThe3Dwaffle
Summary: Charles Griggs is a survivor in the zombie appocalypse. will he find a family that he can trust or will he become one of the dead? read to find out.
1. Hello, cruel world

**Hi, this is my first story so i dont know how good it will be but ive read alot of other peoples storys and gotten alot of ideas from them. don't hate!** **this is based off the walking dead, but it will have some of my own characters.** **please enjoy! (dont know how far ill continue it.)** **note: i don't own the walking dead or any of the characters other than my own.**

 **this is an insane world.** **chapter one**

It's crazy how fast the world can go to shit.

Not long ago I would be in my bed probably waking up soon, and getting ready for work.

Yet here I was. scrounging in a dumpster in the hopes of finding something edible. I know what you are thinking, but I haven't had anything decent to eat in the last 48 hours and barely enough water to survive. Let me tell you, the pain of starvation and dehydration is unbearable. To the point where any food in this dumpster will be a feast.

It's been about 2 or 3 months since the outbreak, I think. And I try not to think about it too much. I remember all the problems I complained about before such as bills, and taxes and what not. I would give anything to have those problems now.

But sadly, top of the to do list on a daily basis is survive. I try and keep a routine.

Wake up, unpack camp, check the traps (so far I haven't had any luck with those), find something to eat, avoid the dead ones, and repeat. I was just walking along the road in Atlanta looting trash bins and shops. So far today I had killed about 12 walkers. And seen about Zero living beings.

I haven't seen any humans that are alive for probably over a month. Like I said before I don't keep count. I'm starting to think I may be the last person on Earth. _Yep lucky me._ As I was deep in these thoughts I barely noticed the walker I took out with one stab of my knife. It fell to the ground and as I stood up I heard the weirdest possible sound in the city of Atlanta, horse clops?

I slowly turned around sure that I must finally be dying from dehydration, and looked at a man in a sheriff uniform on top of a horse. _How fitting_ I thought.

"Hello" the man said.

I just stared at him, I was definitely hallucinating. Why did he have three heads? The three headed man slid down from the horse and landed beside me. He waved his six hands in front of my face. I let out a small laugh and then the world went black.


	2. Officer Friendly

I've got to say it was probably the most peaceful i had been since the start of the apocalypse. I thought, _maybe I'm finally_ _dead_. I realized I must still be stuck in this god forsaken world when I noticed the pain in the back on my head, not to mention how hungry I was. I slowly opened my eyes and saw the sheriff about 5 inches from my face. I blinked. At least I wasn't completely crazy.

"You're awake." He said in a southern accent.

"Yea, thanks for noticing" I said sarcastically "maybe next time you're gonna breathe about 5 inches from my face you should at least eat a mint" the man chuckled

"I was afraid you were dead."

"Yea well, wouldn't be very surprising. Given the circumstances." I noticed his water bottle and I'm not sure what took over me but I lunged for it and drank it all. This was the first good amount of water I had in a few days.

"that's it" I decided "you, sir. Are a godsend" I glanced at the empty bottle in my hand "uh, I'm sorry I didn't mean to drink it all it's just I haven't had water in-"

"Nah that's quite all right. Besides I can't have you fainting on me again. By the way the name's Rick. Rick Grimes" he held out a hand. I shook it

"Charlie Griggs, but you can call me Charlie." I looked at his horse "how did you find a horse in the middle of an apocalypse?" I laughed.

He wiped his forehead "long story, look w- where is everyone? I heard this is supposed to be a safe place." He looked very worried. I frowned.

"Well you are the first human contact I've had in over a month I think.. I assumed everyone else was just.. gone" i said dejectedly.

"N no no, my wife.. my son…" he looked so scared I almost held his hand.

"Hey.. are they missing?" I asked and scolded myself _dumb question_ , Rick nodded "I thought they might have come here. Lori has family here but.."

"Don't worry Officer Grimes, I'll help you find them." I didn't really think we could find them but, I wanted to cheer the guy up. It worked and he smiled. He looked alot better when he was happy.

"Anyways, I was headed into the city but if you want you could come along, your horse too." I offered.

"Yea that would be great" he hopped back on the horse and I walked beside them. We went in total silence. I was in deep thought. I couldn't believe I had managed to wind up with this Rick Grimes person. I couldn't believe how easily he trusted me. And I wasn't sure If I should stay with him. All the other small groups I had been in they… well I was alone until now.. _I was bad luck_. I had decided that after the third group. Although, Rick seemed to be alone. Maybe he and I could work together.

After a while Rick spoke you "so.. have you been alone this whole time?" I had been dreading the question but I was expecting it. "No.. there were others." I said slowly.

"Really? Where are they?" He asked

I looked down at my feet "I'd rather not talk about it." after that we walked in awkward silence.

We turned a street and I heard moaning. Lots. Of moaning. "Oh shit" I said immediately. They hadn't noticed us yet. Then the horse reared up and the entire horde turned. "Rick we gotta get out of here!" I yelled. His face was ghost white. I couldn't understand, _it's been like three months since the start and I've seen a lot of hordes like this,_ I just usually avoid them, i guess Rick being there distracted me. but he looks like this is the most walkers he's seen. Great now I'm going to get him killed. I pulled him off his horse and the bag of guns fell off on to the ground. "Rick! Come on!" He reached for his gun. Oh my God I thought. He's gonna get every walker in the city on us he started firing away I stabbed a few of them in the head then I noticed the tank. "Rick! The tank!" He looked at what I was talking about and then at me he nodded and we both ran for it. By the time we got under the tank walkers had surrounded us. I was starting to panic, _this is how I'm going to die._ Just because of one _stupid_ mistake. "Nice knowing you Officer friendly." I said to rick. He looked up.

"Charlie in here a hatch!" And he climbed up, once he was in I followed and just got in as the walkers reached my feet. Rick was closing the roof hatch.

I lay on the floor. Breathing hard. Rick sat against the wall. I looked up. "Uh Rick.. is that" the walker turned to look at him and reached out. Rick shot it. My ears were ringing like crazy. I thought I heard a voice and shook my head. _"Hey you!"_

I looked at Rick questioningly.

 _"Yea you dumbasses in the tank! Cozy in there?"_


	3. Make 'Em Count

"Hey are you alive in there?" The man on the radio asked.

Rick and i both went over to the radio and Rick picked it up.

"H-hello?" He said.

"There you are. You had me wondering."

"Where are you?" Rick asked

"Outside."

I picked up the talkie "can you see us?"

"Yes I can see you. You're surrounded by walkers. That's the bad news."

"There's good news?"

"No". The radio man said.

Rick grabbed the talkie from me again "Listen, whoever you are, I don't mind telling you we're a little concerned in here."

"Oh man. You should see it from over here.

You'd be having a major freak-out."

"That's pretty reassuring" I remarked

"Got any advice for us ?"

"Yeah, I'd say make a run for it." The radio man said. He must be joking.

"That's it? "Make a run for it"?" I asked.

"Hey My way's not as dumb as it sounds." He paused. "You've got eyes on the outside here. There's one geek still up on the tank but the others have climbed down and joined the feeding frenzy where the horse went down." Rick looked a bit sad, poor horse.

"You with me so far?" Radio guy asked.

"So far, I think" I said.

"Okay, the street on the other side of the tank is a bit less crowded. If you move now while they're distracted, you stand a chance. You Got ammo?"

Rick took the talkie again.

"Yea in the duffel bag I dropped. Can I get to it?" he asked.

"Forget the bag. Okay? It's not an option. What do you have on you?"

Rick checked his gun and I pointed at my knife.

"a knife and I've got a Beretta with one clip, - 15 rounds"

"You better make em count. Jump off the right side of the tank, keep going in that direction. There's an alley up the street, maybe 50 yards. I'll be there."

"Hey, what's your name?" Rick asked. "Have you been listening? You're running out of time."

"Right." we stood up and locked eyes.

"Now or never" I said. "See you on the other side Officer Friendly." I saluted

"Yea yea" he said.

We got up and shoved the hatch on the top of the tank open and I stabbed the one walker on top in the head. Most of the horde was still feasting on the horse. I saw the bag right in the middle of it all. We got up and ran over in the direction the radio man had said to go in, shooting and stabbing walkers as we went. We got to the alley he said to be in and I almost stabbed him in the head

"Whoa! Woah not dead! Not dead!" He shouted. "Come on! Back here! Come on!" He started climbing the ladder and I went after him. I looked down at Rick who was still shooting "Hey come on! What are you doing?!" he started climbing after us. All three of us stood on top of the building. We were all breathing hard.

"You guys the new sheriff's come riding in to clean up the town?" The man asked

"It wasn't our intention."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Yeehaw." I said

"You're still dumbasses." the man said

"Rick. And this is Charlie. Thanks."

"Glenn. You're welcome."

I looked over the edge of the building "Oh no." There was hundreds of walkers growling.

"The bright side: It'll be the fall that kills us." Glenn said. Rick and I looked at him.

"Hey I'm a glass half full kind of guy"

"Are you the one that barricaded the alley?" Rick asked

"Somebody did, I guess when the city got overrun."

"Whoever did it was thinking not many walkers would get through." I said

"Back at the tank, why'd you stick your neck out for us?"

"Call it foolish, naive hope that if I'm ever that far up shit creek, somebody might do the same for me." He paused "Guess I'm an even bigger dumbass than you two." we laughed. Probably because of how close we were to dying 2 minutes ago but it felt good to laugh after so long. I thought, maybe just maybe. This could work out.

Glen lead us through the buildings avoiding walkers and sneaking through alleys to where he said his group was. We went in through the back door.

"I'm back." Glen announced." Got two guests plus 4 geeks in the alley."

In about two seconds a blond woman had a gun on me. I looked down at the edge of the barrel

"You son of a bitch. We ought to kill you."

"Hey Just chill out, Andrea." Glenn said

"Back off." Andrea snapped

"- Come on, ease up." Rick tried

"Ease up? You're kidding me, right? We're dead because of you stupid assholes."

"Andrea, I said back the hell off." Glenn said again.

"Well then, pull the trigger." I taunted

"We're dead All of us Because of you." she said again. Pushing it more into my chest.

"I don't understand." I said truthfully.

"Look, we came into the city to scavenge supplies. You know what the key to scavenging is?" She asked.

"Surviving! You know the key to surviving? Sneaking in and out, tiptoeing. Not shooting up the streets like it's the O.K."

"Every geek for miles around heard you popping off rounds. You just rang the dinner bell." A black man said.

"Look. why point the gun at me? He's the one who was shooting!" I pointed at Rick. "Besides. You don't have the guts to pull the trigger, do you?" I said. Andrea dropped her gun. And glared at me.

"Hey, T-Dog, try that C.B."

"Can you contact the others?" Glenn asked. "Others? The refugee center?" Rick asked. "Yeah, the refugee center." Glenn Chuckled

"They've got biscuits waiting at the oven for us."

"Got no signal." T-Dog said

"Maybe the roof." I suggested.

Just then we heard a bunch of gun fire and laughing coming from the roof. "Ooh-kay. Maybe not the roof" I said.


	4. Common Sense

"Is that Dixon? - What is that maniac doing? Come on, let's go." Andrea left for the roof.

On the roof there was even more gunshots

"Hey, Dixon, are you crazy?!" Andrea yelled.

"Oh jeez. i guess we managed to end up with the biggest nut jobs left in the world." I said to Rick he chuckled but it earned me yet another glare from Andrea.

"Hey! Y'all be more polite to a man with a gun! Huh? Ah! Only common sense." Dixon said. Waving his gun around

"Man, you wasting bullets we ain't even got!" T-Dog yelled. Dixon laughed.

"And you're bringing even more of them down on our ass! Man, just chill." Glenn added

"Bad enough I've got this taco-bender on my ass all day. Now I'm gonna take orders from you? I don't think so, bro.That'll be the day." He chuckled to himself. I didn't like where this was going.

"That'll be the day"? You got something you want to tell me?" T Dog said stepping up to dixon

"Hey, T-Dog man, just leave it." Glenn tried to make peace.

"No."

"All right? It ain't worth it." Andrea said

"Now Merle, just relax, okay? We've got enough trouble."

"You want to know the day?" Dixon asked

"Yeah."

"I'll tell you the day, Mr."

"Yo."

"It's the day I take orders from a nigger." That's when T Dog lost it. He and merle where scraping on the floor punching and kicking.

" Mother - "

"Hey, come on, Merle. That's enough."

It was starting to make me mad as well, then i got an idea. I looked at Rick.

"Hey officer friendly got any cuffs on you?" I asked. I saw that he knew what I was thinking of doing and he nodded. I went and tackled Merle Dixon off of T-Dog with Rick behind me cuffs at the ready.

"Hey what the-" I punched him in the face.

He was stunned and Rick took his chance and cuffed him to a metal pole on the roof. Merle looked appalled

" Who the hell are you, man?!" He asked "Officer friendly." Rick smiled and looked at me.

"And his trusty sidekick" I added

"Look here, Merle. Things are different now." Rick said

"There are no niggers anymore. No dumb-as-shit, inbred white-trash fools either. Only dark meat and white meat. There's us and the dead. We survive this by pulling together, not apart."

"Screw you, man."

" I see you make a habit of missing the point." I pointed out.

"Oh Yeah? Well, screw you twice."

"Ought to be polite to a man with a gun." Rick said. As he cocked his gun.

"Only common sense."

"You wouldn't. You're a cop." Merle said but looked slightly nervous.

"All I am anymore is a man looking for his wife and son. Anybody that gets in the way of that is gonna lose.I'll give you a moment to think about that." I picked up a bag of a whole bunch of different drugs and showed it to Rick.

"Got some on your nose there." He said.

"What are you gonna do? Arrest me?" Merle laughed. I took the bag and threw it over the edge of the building.

"Hey! What are you doing? Man, that was my stuff! Hey! If I get loose, you'd better pray Yeah, you hear me, you pig?! - You hear me?!"

"Yeah, your voice carries." I said sarcastically.

"Do you hear me, you filthy pig?! You're not Atlanta P.D!" He yelled. "Where you from?!

"Up the road a ways."

"Well, officer friendly and his trusty sidekick from up the road a ways, welcome to the big city."


	5. A Bad Idea

We went back down to the room we had come in through. Now There was hundreds of walkers trying to get through the glass doors. They had already gotten through the first set of doors.

"The streets ain't safe." Rick said.

"Now there's an understatement." I said.

"What about under the streets? The sewers? Oh man."

"Hey, Glenn, check the alley. You see any manhole covers?" Glenn poked his head out the window.

"No, must be all out on the street where the geeks are." He said sadly

"Maybe not." A girl said. "Old building like this built in the '20s Big structures often had drainage tunnels into the sewers in case of flooding down in the sub basements".

"Jaqui How do you know that?"

"It's my job- was. I worked in the city zoning office."

We went over to the drainage tunnels that she talked about. "This is it? Are you sure? I really scoped this place out the other times I've been here. It's the only building that goes down. But I've never gone down it." Glenn said.

"Who would want to? Right?" I laughed. "Oh. Great." I said

"We'll be right behind you." Rick said.

"No, you won't. Not you."

"Why not me? Think I can't?"

"Look, until now I always came here by myself In and out, grab a few things No problem.The first time I bring a group Everything goes to hell." Glenn said

"No offense."

"If you want me to go down this gnarly hole, fine But only if we do it my way. It's tight down there. If I run into something and have to get out quick, I don't want you all jammed up behind me getting me killed.

I'll take one person Not you either." He looked at Rick.

"You've got Merle's gun and I've seen you shoot.

I'd feel better if you were out in that store watching those doors, covering our ass." Glenn looked at me. "I'll take Charlie, he'll be my wingman. He looks like the smallest."

Andrea looked at me this time. "Can I come too?" Glenn rolled his eyes. "Fine. Fine. But if anything goes down, down there I'll sacrifice you."

And with that we all hopped down into the sewers. It was so disgusting it made me long for digging through garbage cans this morning. We were all quiet for the most part. We had seen a few walkers and rats. Don't ask me how walkers managed to end up in the sewer. I supposed if you're dead enough anything's possible.

After a while Andrea whispered to me

"Sorry for the gun in your face" she said.

"People do things when they're afraid." I said.

"Not that it was entirely unjustified. You did get us into this."

"If I get us out, would that make up for it?" I smiled

"No, but it'd be a start." She said

"Next time though, take the safety off.

It won't shoot otherwise." I smirked.

We came to a large grate. "Huh, jacqui was right."

"Can we cut through it?" I asked.

"If we had a blowtorch and half a day. Maybe." Glenn said. " But Dale's hacksaw sure as hell won't do it"

"not to mention lighting a blowtorch down here would probably blow up the whole city" i added

Glenn Andrea and I sighed and started to head back.

"Did you find anything down there?" Rick asked.

"Not a way out."

"We need to find a way out and soon." Glenn said.

Rick looked out over to a construction site.

."that construction site. They always keep keys on hand."

"You'll never make it past the walkers." Glenn said.

"You got us out of that tank." I said

"Yeah, but they were feeding."

"They were distracted."

"Can we distract them again?" I asked

"Listen to him." Andrea said.

"He's onto something."

"A diversion, like on "Hogan's Heroes." Rick added

" - God."

"Give it a rest." Glenn said

"They're drawn by sound, right? Right, like dogs. They hear a sound, they come.

What else? Aside from they hear you? They see you, smell you and if they catch you, they eat you." I was thinking hard and, if I was right. Then I may have found us a way out.

"They can tell us by smell?" Andrea asked.

"Can't you? They smell dead, we don't. It's pretty distinct." I scoffed

If bad ideas were an olympic event, - this would take the gold.

"He's right." Rick said

"Just stop, okay? Take some time to think this through." Glenn said

"How much time? They already got through one set of doors, that glass won't hold forever." I said. Determined.

Rick t-Dog and I opened a back door and grabbed a walker. We stabbed it's brain and dragged it into the back room.

We were about to cut him open when I had an idea. "Wait." I said

I reached into his pocket and got his wallet.

"Wayne Dunlap.

Georgia license.

Born in 1979.

He had $28 in his pocket when he died And a picture of a pretty girl.

"With love, from Rachel." I read

" He used to be like us Worrying about bills or the rent or the Super Bowl." Glenn said

"If I ever find my family, I'm gonna tell them about Wayne." Rick sighed.

I cracked a smile. "Guys. One more thing, It says he's an organ donor." I took out my knife. We had placed table cloths over our clothes. "Here goes nothing" I cut him open. "Get some guts and rub them all over ok! We have to mask the smell! Glenn stop being a baby." I ordered.

"Oh I am so gonna hurl" glenn said. And promptly did so.

"Everyone got gloves? Don't get any on your skin or eyes" Rick said.

"Kind of hard to do"

As we slathered more guts and blood on ourselves Glenn kept complaining "oh this is bad. So bad."

"Just think of puppies and kittens." Rick said

"Dead puppies and kittens" I added.

"That is just evil." Andrea said.

"What is wrong with you? Next time let the cracker beat his ass." Glenn said. And I smiled. " I'm sorry man, this really is gross."

"Do we smell like them?" Rick asked.

"Oh yea, definitely" Andrea said.

"Be ready, just in case we have to come back" Glenn said.

"What about Merle Dixon?"

"What about him?" Andrea said.

We opened the door and join the dead in their March.

"Walk slow. Don't draw attention to yourself" Rick whispered.

We were halfway there when it all went wrong. It started raining. For the first time in weeks and it had to rain Now?!

"Guys the smells coming off." I whispered I stabbed a walker that was getting a little too close to Rick. "Thanks" he breathed. I nodded.

I tripped over a walker that was on the ground "shit." The knife I was holding had gotten stabbed into my leg "are you kidding me?" I could hardly walk.

"Charlie!" Rick whisper yelled the herd was starting to notice us. "I'm..I'm ok keep going. I'll just slow you down."

"No Charlie!"

I held the fence down for them so they could go.

"It's ok! I'll be fine I'll hold them back for you. Just find your family." I grabbed the nearest walker and stabbed it's brain.

Then I lay down under it to hide from the rest. I looked at my leg the knife was still in it. And blood was pouring everywhere. I was going to die from blood loss if I didn't patch it up soon.

 _At least I had given officer friendly a chance._ I thought before I blacked out.


	6. 'Nother Dixon

**thanks to you peeps who reviewed! it means alot!**

I woke up sometime later because someone was dragging me by the leg that had been stabbed by myself. It hurt like heck. I bit my tongue so that I wouldn't make a noise. The person dragging me only had one hand.

"Ah your awake" a familiar voice chuckled. "Looks who's woken up from his beauty nap"

I couldn't believe my eyes it was Merle Dixon. great we could go back to wherever camp was together, since he knew where it was. But something was off about him.

"Merle.. your arm" I winced because he put a hand right on my knife wound.

"Yea you and officer friendly owe me a new arm. Not to mention my bag of stuff."

"You deserved what you got." I spat.

"Oh you are gonna get what you deserve then" and he started punching me with his good arm.

I felt my eyes and face swelled up I could taste blood in my mouth. Then he kicked me in the gut. I doubled over and he kicked me in the face, I think I heard something snap. "Merle.." I breathed.

"What you had enough?! Huh pretty boy? Guess you aren't so pretty now huh?" He laughed. "You know what pretty boy we got something in common. We got left behind by the same people." He sneered.

"I've got nothing in common with you" I spat blood at him.

My vision was getting very blurry and I was sure merle was going to beat me to death. He punched me one last time to break my nose for good measure. And then he got up and flipped me off and left

"good luck walker chow!" He taunted.

Great. I was all alone again. Nearly defenseless and extremely injured. I looked at my leg again.

There's dried up blood all over it and I'm pretty sure it's infected. I took off my shirt and wrapped it around my wounded leg. That would have to do for now. I wasn't sure if I could actually walk.

But I couldn't just sit here to die.

I forced myself up and limped back to the department store we were trapped in God knows how many hours ago. I looked in one of the bathroom mirrors. I looked awful. My nose was about 20 times too big and my eyes were so bruised that you could hardly see my eyeballs. I definitely could pass as a walker now. Suddenly Glenn's joke about letting merle the crack beat me up wasn't so funny anymore.

Thinking of glenn made me feel sad. I was so close to having a group and a family but I had already lost them within a day. I couldn't believe it. I wondered if they would come back for me but I doubted it.

Rick would move on to find his family and after what happened I can't imagine Glenn making many runs into the city. Especially not to find me.

I guess I must have been feeling sorry for myself but I went outside and leaned against the wall.

considering the fact that I was out cold for who knows how long, I was surprisingly tired. I leaned my head against the wall from my sitting position and fell asleep. I was so tired that I didn't even care that I was out in the open and walkers or people could kill me at any second.

I was woken up by someone gently tapping my shoulder. I couldn't open my eyes. I made a groaning noise to tell them I was alive then I heard Glenn's voice

"Rick.. I think he's turned." And I felt what might be the tip of a knife against my forehead.

"Whoa… not dea..d not.. dead" I moaned.

"Charlie?" Rick asked in disbelief.

I nodded my head slightly.

"That's me"

"W- what happened to you?" Glenn asked

I finally managed to open one eye

"Whaddaya mean" I tried for a smile but it was more of a grimace. "Never been better."

"Seriously Griggs. How can you joke in this state?" Rick asked.

I wasn't really thinking straight but I managed to remember enough of what happened.

"Merle" I croaked.

Suddenly a rough hand was on my shoulder. I may have flinched really hard.

"Merle! What happened to him! Where is he! What does this have to do with him!"

I turned my head slightly

"Who're you?" I asked

"Daryl. Now tell me where merle is!" He said roughly.

"I-i don't know. He left" I said.

Rick leaned closer "Charlie did he do this to you?" I looked at Daryl.

"Uh no. Merle did"

Glenn laughed "that's what he was asking, dumbass" I laughed but it turned into a cough and blood came out. Then I realized something.

I sat up a bit more even though it hurt. I looked at Rick and Glenn.

"You came back?" I said surprised.

"Of course." Rick smiled "I found my family!"

"Wow that- that's great!" I said

"Now can we go home please" I asked

"Sure thing-"

"What about Merle! We can't leave him!" Daryl said roughly once again.

"Daryl he's gone. He might be alive, we only found his hand after all. But it would be impossible to find him right now."

"Humf" Daryl turned and hopped on his motorcycle and drove off.

"'Nother Dixon?" I asked.

"Yep" Glenn and Rick said at the same time.

Then they turned and started walking off. I stood up and limped slowly. "Uh guys? Little help?" I said leaning against a dumpster for support.

"Oh right." Rick helped me into the car. After a while in the car I passed out for the third time today.


End file.
